Storyteller: Hilary Grime
Who you have lost: Phoebe Grime
Their Age: 20
Association: Parent
University: Newcastle University
Course: Psychology
Share what should have changed: Where to start!
Newcastle University (NU) state in the MH Charter they ‘always act to ensure their safety and wellbeing is a priority’ – this is not a legal duty of care and these needs to be law as it is for schools and employment. And yet, in the Inquest they said ‘normally counselling is for normal student issues such as being homesick, problems making friends and so on’ – does everyone know this??
If a proper OPT-IN Policy was adopted we would have been contacted. This needs to be the same across all universities, properly communicated to students and acted upon.
There needs to be a central point in which all the information regarding a student can come together and a proper assessment made. They don’t communicate with each other within and therefore students fall through the net.
Phoebe did not have a sufficiently qualified counsellor. This is worse than not having a counsellor at all. She took her life 20 hours after having seen a NU counsellor whose advice and understanding was shocking to say the least.
Universities need to stop pushing these deaths under the carpet. They need to acknowledge them, listen to those involve, investigate and so they can learn and make change to prevent a single additional suicide.
IF A STUDENTS’ LIFE MAYBE AT RISK THEY SHOULD TAKE WHATEVER PROPORTIONATE ACTION REQUIRED TO PROTECT THAT STUDENT AND IF THAT MEANS INVOLVING PARENTS AS PART OF THE SUPPORT PACKAGE, THAT IS WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SAVING A YOUNG LIFE.
